Alright, so this one might be a bit more a matter of personal opinion, but I'd still like to hear from someone concerning this. Basically, I was given some money from my mom so I could buy myself this coat I wanted from Kohls for Christmas (it was my gift). I had to go to two different Kohls, both on opposite ends of town, before I even found the coat. Now, here's the catch: There was only one of this particular coat in stock, 60% off regular price, & sadly, it was a size small. I was figuring I'd be at least a large, but upon trying on other coat's of that brand, found that I fit well in a medium. So, not a huge dilemma right? I try the jacket on, hesitantly, & find out it actually fits pretty perfect-- right up until I try & zip the thing. So, I'm too big to actually zip it up, but it looks beautiful on me. I never really zip my jackets up anyways, as I don't like the feel of it. My GF basically helped me convince myself that it would actually be a good incentive for losing weight. Wearing the coat would be a constant physical reminder of a goal I set out to accomplish, & hopefully push me enough to achieve it. So, I bought the coat, much to my angry mothers disapproval. She believes I've made a foolish choice, buying a coat I can't even zip up (not that I would if I could zip it). Anyone else believe that this was just a very foolish decision? Or is it an appropriate mini-goal to work towards zipping up my awesome new coat? I say that if it can serve my purpose of warmth & also motivate me to lose weight, it was well worth the investment. Comments, opinions? Please let me know.

Your not alone in this one...i think a lot of people buy clothes that dont fit in the hope that they someday will (ever heard the term skinny jeans?), i know i'm one of them. As a result of constantly buying clothes that "kinda" fit I have a wardrobe that ranges from a size 6 to a size 16....i've only fit into my size 6 jeans for one six month period and they still taunt me from my shelves every time i go to get dressed.

It seems to me that it makes sense logically that buying clothes a bit to small would be motivating, but sometimes it seems to backfire and you just feel worse because you either never fit in it right or you only fit in it briefly. But go ahead and give it a shot, and if it works for you then keep it up!

I understand your mother, she wants to buy you a nice, warm coat that fits you properly so you'll get through winter warm & beautiful.

However I also use the whole skinny jeans incentive strategy and it definitely helps me stay away from those sweets. Its going to be my favorite reward in a few months!

Its a tough one. If it were your own purchase or something less essential, I'd totally recommend it. But since its getting cold and your mother is buying it for you... my advice is to buy a different, warm, beautiful coat that fits you properly (even though you never zip it up!) and maybe buying something smaller as an incentive yourself.

There will be so many lovely coats to choose from once you hit your goal, you'll probably have forgotten all about this one!

I understand the fashion statement or comfort appeal of not zipping, but as you get smaller you may find that you feel cold and want to zip it up! I'd say, wear it with the idea that one of your goals is to be able to zip it up. And I hope you stay warm enough this winter.

Hi , I checked your post cause I like mini goals and found you all posting about the clothes. I do this alot. I agree with Neeka. There will be plenty of lovely coats and other clothes you can choose from when you have lost the weight. I too have a closet full of a whole range of sizes. One cool thing is that i will have lots of great clothes on my journey down!

I think your coat is going to fit you soon. If it fits all of you but wont zip you are not too far away! Stay focused!

I am with JayEll. Hopefully, you will be able to zip up the jacket in no time (how much do you need to lose to be able to zip it up?). The "being cold after weight loss" is a factor. I understand your mom's frustration but if it was me, I would NOT buy a coat that fits me "now" if I am still losing weight.
60% off is nothing to sneer at.

On the other hand, I also have to say that I would probably avoid buying the coat altogether until I am at my goal weight. A year before I started my weight loss journey I coughed up $1,300 for a beautiful sherling fur coat - I had to go to size 18 (because of da boobs). It kept me beautifully warm even in very cold weather but you know what, now I can wrap it around myself TWICE.

These days, I try not to buy too much stuff except for jeans as I keep shrinking down. Just this past weekend, I bought jeans in size 4 that I cannot wear yet - I can zip them up if I suck my belly in but it would be extremely uncomfortable to survive in them like that. No big deal - I am sure they will fit me ok in January. Normally, I would not buy even the jeans ahead of time but I am constantly struggling to find jeans that are long enough. Everything seems to be made for flood waters and so if I find a pair that is long enough, I buy them (these are the 3rd pair since summer that I bought because of "downsizing" - not really for motivation, I am motivated enough that I don't need a pair of jeans to remind to go to the gym.

Or maybe I got them just so that I can say like Schumeany, "those are size 4 jeans hugging my posterior, thank you for noticing". (I always loved that line).

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Dearest Schumeany: Yes, those are size 4 jeans hugging my posterior. Thank you for being such motivation!!!

Hey, I just bought a coat from Kohls! 84 dollars marked to $42. It is almost to my knee and is very slimline. It has 3/4 length sleeve and is brushed gold. I didn't buy it for warmth either!

I understand your moms frustration but I assume you are an adult. As such, these decisions should be left to you.

LOL, tomato. I have a pair of size 6 brown courdorys from St. Johns Bay. I think of that quote every time I put them on! LOL. I still wear an 8 but the occasional 6 does the trick too.

ETA: I bought a blouse that is nothing short of a blouse for a HAWTTIE! I can wear it now--but as they say, just because it fits doesn't mean you should wear it. Anyway, it is kind of my goal shirt. I don't really know what my goal even is. But, when I put on that blouse and look good, I will know I have hit goal. And, yes, I will wear it proudly!

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"Be who you are, say what you feel. Those who matter, don't mind. Those who mind, don't matter." --Dr. Seuss

I think it can be a good incentive and you're gonna find out eventually if it fits. Unfortunately, I've done this in the past and have had clothes I had to donate because there were reminders of weight loss goals I hadn't met. What might be better is using the idea of buying new smaller clothing as motivation and then doing so once you reach your goals. In this instance though, the fact that you can wear it and the zipper is the only issue is a good sign. Good Luck!

Thanks all for the opinions. Got some good points of view mixed in there.

UPDATE: I've found out that I actually can zip the jacket up, as long as I zip it at my bellybutton then pull the fabric down. It's just a little tight, but it looks very very good (slimming) on me. I think it's technically cheating to zip from the tummy, not the waist, but I had to show my mom & she still didn't seem that impressed. It's still going to be my goal to zip it from the waist-line, just an FYI that sort of justifies the purchase for me: I can zip it if it's too cold outside.

Just about all of my mini goals are to get into clothes that don't fit. I have a closet (OK two closets) full of everything from size 16-6 that have not been worn in a long time, a few have never been worn.

Jackets need to be a bit larger anyways in case you wear a sweater... but I have some jackets that look quite nice even with some weight gain that can't quite zip. Fashion "experts" say even if you dont' intend to zip a jacket they should to fit right. And not to buy dream sizes. Ok I have a perfect jacket (supurb) brand I bought at ross even when I was 20 lbs skinner I couldn't "quite" fit into and it's not hte type that looks ok without it being buttoned and I'm highly doubting I'll ever wear it - or could I get to THAT size? I'm on a shopping diet along with my diet until I lose these pounds.